Drug Offences in Turkey: Penalties, Personal Use and What Foreigners Should Know

Turkish law punishes drug offences severely and draws a sharp line between trafficking and personal use. Importing or exporting drugs carries twenty to thirty years' imprisonment; selling, supplying, transporting, storing or possessing drugs for supply carries not less than ten years (Penal Code, Art. 188). Buying, receiving or possessing drugs for personal use, or using them, carries two to five years — but for a first case the prosecution is suspended for five years and replaced by probation, with treatment where needed (Art. 191). For a foreigner, any drug case also brings immigration consequences: a restriction record, and usually deportation and an entry ban.

This guide explains the offences and penalties, how the law decides whether possession is for use or for supply, what happens after an arrest, and what a drug case means for a foreigner's right to stay in or return to Turkey. It is written for people facing a case and for their families; it is not a guide to what can be brought into the country.

• Import, export, manufacture: 20 to 30 years' imprisonment and a judicial fine (Art. 188(1)).
• Sale, supply, transport, storage, possession for supply: not less than 10 years and a judicial fine; not less than 15 years if supplied to a child (Art. 188(3)).
• Personal use: 2 to 5 years (Art. 191(1)).
• First case of personal use: prosecution suspended for 5 years; probation for at least 1 year (Art. 191(2)–(3)).
• Cooperation: exemption from or reduction of penalty for those who assist the authorities (Art. 192).
• Custody: trafficking is among the offences for which police may order custody in flagrante cases (Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 91(4)).
• Immigration: deportation on public order grounds or after sentence; entry ban up to 5 + 10 years.

Legal status of this guide. It reflects the Turkish Penal Code (No. 5237) as currently in force, including the 2014 and 2023 amendments to Articles 188 and 191. Sentences in individual cases depend on the substance, the quantity, the circumstances and the reductions and increases the Code provides. Last updated: October 2026.

In this guide

• Two different offences
• Manufacture and trafficking (Art. 188)
• Possession for use (Art. 191)
• Use or supply? How the line is drawn
• Suspended prosecution and probation
• Cooperation with the authorities (Art. 192)
• After arrest: custody, detention, trial
• Airports, couriers and "I did not know"
• Prescription medication
• Deportation, entry ban and your status
• What families should do
• Frequently asked questions

Two different offences

	Trafficking (Art. 188)	Personal use (Art. 191)
Conduct	Manufacture, import, export; sale, offering for sale, giving to others, dispatch, transport, storage, purchase, acceptance or possession for supply	Purchase, acceptance or possession for use; use
Penalty	20–30 years (import, export, manufacture); not less than 10 years (other acts)	2–5 years
Court	Heavy penal court	Criminal court of first instance
Pre-trial detention	Common	Uncommon
First case	Prosecution and prison	Suspended prosecution with probation

The same act — being found with a quantity of a substance — can fall under either provision. Which one applies is the single most important question in the case.

Manufacture and trafficking (Art. 188)

• Manufacture, import, export (Art. 188(1)). A person who manufactures, imports or exports narcotic or stimulant substances without a licence or contrary to the licence is punished with imprisonment from twenty to thirty years and a judicial fine from two thousand to twenty thousand days. Carrying drugs across the Turkish border in either direction — including in transit — is import or export.
• Double counting abroad (Art. 188(2)). Where export from Turkey is treated as import by another country and tried there, the part of the sentence executed abroad is deducted from the sentence imposed in Turkey for the export. The person can therefore be tried in both countries.
• Domestic supply (Art. 188(3)). A person who, without a licence or contrary to it, sells, offers for sale, gives to others, dispatches, transports, stores, purchases, accepts or possesses narcotic or stimulant substances within the country is punished with imprisonment of not less than ten years and a judicial fine from one thousand to twenty thousand days. If the substance is given or sold to a child, the sentence may not be less than fifteen years.
• Aggravations. The Code increases the penalty where the substance is one of those it lists as particularly dangerous — such as heroin, cocaine, morphine and synthetic drugs — where the offence is committed in or near places such as schools, dormitories, hospitals, barracks or places of worship, where it is committed by several persons together or within the activities of a criminal organisation, and where it is committed by certain professionals.
• Preparatory and related acts — precursor chemicals, facilitating use, providing premises — are punished under neighbouring provisions.

"Giving to others" needs no payment. Sharing with friends, passing a substance to another person or carrying it for someone else is supply, not use.

Possession for use (Art. 191)

A person who purchases, accepts or possesses a narcotic or stimulant substance for use, or who uses such a substance, is punished with imprisonment from two to five years (Art. 191(1)). The penalty is increased where the act is committed in or near the protected places listed in the Code, such as schools, dormitories, hospitals and military or social facilities.

The offence covers small quantities found on the person, at home or in a vehicle, and use established by statement or by test. All substances classified as narcotic or stimulant are covered; Turkish law does not distinguish between "soft" and "hard" drugs for the purpose of whether the conduct is criminal, and cannabis is not decriminalised.

Use or supply? How the line is drawn

The statute does not fix a threshold quantity. Courts decide the purpose of possession from the evidence as a whole, and the Court of Cassation has developed criteria that prosecutors and defence lawyers both use:

• Quantity — whether it exceeds what one person would reasonably consume over a short period, assessed by reference to forensic guidance for the substance concerned;
• Packaging — one piece, or many small portions of similar weight;
• Equipment — precision scales, packaging material, cutting agents;
• Where and how it was kept — readily accessible for use, or hidden and divided;
• Money and records — cash inconsistent with income, lists of names and amounts;
• Communications — messages and calls indicating sales;
• Conduct observed — any act of sale or transfer, statements of buyers;
• Whether the person is a user — medical evidence, test results, treatment history.

Where the evidence leaves a doubt as to purpose, the doubt benefits the accused and the conduct is treated as possession for use. That is why the first statement matters so much: an unconsidered remark such as "it was for me and my friends" turns a use case into a supply case.

Suspended prosecution and probation

For the offence of personal use, the law requires a different path from ordinary prosecution (Art. 191(2)–(3)):

• in the investigation, the prosecutor decides to suspend the bringing of a public case for five years, without the usual conditions for such suspension being required, and warns the suspect of the consequences of not complying with the obligations imposed or of breaching the prohibitions; the decision is also notified to law enforcement;
• during the suspension period, a probation measure of at least one year is applied, which may be extended by the prosecutor in six-month periods for up to two more years;
• the person may be subjected to treatment during probation where necessary;
• the prosecutor has the person referred to the relevant institution at least twice a year during the suspension period to determine whether they are using drugs.

If the person complies and commits no further offence of the same kind during the five years, no case is brought and the file is closed. If the person insists on not complying with the obligations or the treatment, again buys, receives or possesses drugs for use, or uses them, the prosecutor brings the case, and the ordinary penalty of two to five years comes into play, with the options the general law allows the court.

For a foreigner there is a practical complication: probation requires presence in Turkey and regular attendance, while the immigration authorities may at the same time seek to remove the person. The two processes need to be managed together.

Cooperation with the authorities (Art. 192)

The Code rewards cooperation. A person who took part in manufacturing or trafficking offences and who, before the authorities learn of the offence, reports the other participants and the places where the substances are hidden or manufactured, is not punished if the information leads to the arrest of the accomplices or the seizure of the substances. A user who, before the authorities learn of it, reports from whom, where and when the substance was obtained, in a way that enables the offenders to be caught, is likewise not punished. Where the assistance is given voluntarily after the offence has come to light, the sentence is reduced substantially. A person who uses drugs and applies of their own accord to the authorities or a health institution for treatment before any investigation is not punished.

Whether and how to cooperate is a decision to be taken with a lawyer, weighing the reduction against personal safety.

After arrest: custody, detention, trial

• Arrest and custody. The general rights apply: to be told the accusation, to remain silent, to a lawyer, to an interpreter, to have a relative informed, and to consular notification unless you object in writing. Manufacture and trafficking of drugs is among the offences for which, in flagrante cases, designated police chiefs may order custody for up to 24 hours, or 48 hours for offences committed collectively, before the prosecutor's instructions are sought (Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 91(4)). See arrested in Turkey as a foreigner.
• Mandatory lawyer. Because the minimum sentence for trafficking exceeds five years, a defence lawyer is appointed even without a request (Art. 150(3)).
• Testing and searches. Body searches, taking of blood, urine or hair samples and searches of homes and vehicles are subject to rules on authorisation; evidence obtained unlawfully cannot be used. Your lawyer should check each warrant and record.
• Forensic report. The substance is analysed to establish its type and net weight. The charge depends on this report; ask for it and check the chain of custody.
• Pre-trial detention. In trafficking cases detention is frequently ordered, and manufacture and trafficking of drugs is among the offences for which the Code presumes that a ground for detention may exist. In use cases, release — with or without judicial control — is the norm. See judicial control and travel bans in Turkey.
• Trial. Trafficking cases are heard by the heavy penal court, with several hearings; first-instance proceedings commonly last many months, followed by appeal.
• Sentence and execution. For trafficking offences the proportion of the sentence that must be served before conditional release is higher than for ordinary offences.

Airports, couriers and "I did not know"

Many foreigners charged under Article 188(1) were arrested at an airport with drugs in luggage or on their person — sometimes knowingly, as paid couriers; sometimes carrying a bag or parcel for an acquaintance.

• Intent is required. The offence is committed intentionally. A person who genuinely did not know what they were carrying has not committed it — but the court decides what it believes on the evidence: who packed the bag, who paid for the ticket, the messages on the phone, the plausibility of the account, the manner of concealment.
• Transit counts. Passing through a Turkish airport with drugs is import and export within the meaning of the Code, even if Turkey was not the destination.
• The role of a courier does not change the offence; it may affect the sentence within the range and the availability of cooperation reductions.
• Never carry anything for anyone whose contents you have not verified yourself. The penalty range starts at twenty years.

Prescription medication

Some medicines lawfully prescribed abroad — strong painkillers, certain sedatives and stimulants used for attention disorders, and cannabis-based products — contain substances that are controlled in Turkey. Travellers who need such medication should carry it in its original packaging, in quantities consistent with personal treatment for the length of the stay, with the prescription and a doctor's letter, and should check with a Turkish consulate before travelling whether the product may be brought in at all. Cannabis products are not accepted as medication on the basis of a foreign prescription.

Deportation, entry ban and your status

• During the case. The criminal proceedings are recorded against the foreigner as a restriction. A court-imposed travel ban may prevent departure while the visa or permit runs out; a residence permit can be requested on the basis of the judicial decision (Law No. 6458, Art. 31(1)(g)).
• Deportation on public order grounds. The governorate may issue a deportation order against a foreigner considered a threat to public order, public security or public health (Art. 54(1)(d)) — in practice, in drug cases, often even where the criminal file ends with suspended prosecution for personal use.
• Deportation after sentence. A foreigner sentenced to imprisonment is reported to the Ministry of Interior for assessment after the sentence is served or conditional release is granted (Penal Code, Art. 59). See deportation after a criminal conviction in Turkey.
• Appeal. A deportation order must be appealed to the administrative court within seven days; removal is suspended meanwhile. See how to appeal a deportation order in Turkey.
• Risk on return. Where the home country may prosecute again for the same act and the penalty there includes death or ill-treatment, deportation is barred (Art. 55(1)(a)). This must be raised and documented.
• Entry ban. Up to five years, extendable by up to ten for a serious threat to public order or security (Art. 9(3)). After a drug case the longer period is to be expected.
• Residence and citizenship. A drug record weighs heavily against renewals and against citizenship, where good moral character and the absence of a public order obstacle are conditions.

A relative arrested in Turkey on a drug charge? Send the person's name and nationality, the city, the date of arrest and what you know of the charge. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. Whether the case is treated as use or supply is often decided by what happens in the first days.

What families should do

1. Find out where the person is held and under which provision the case is being investigated.
2. Instruct a lawyer before any statement is given, or as soon as possible afterwards.
3. Collect evidence of who the person is: employment, studies, residence status, absence of any record, medical evidence of use or treatment where the defence is personal use.
4. Preserve evidence about the journey in courier cases: who booked and paid, messages, who delivered the luggage.
5. Do not contact co-suspects or pay "fixers".
6. Think ahead to release: the migration authorities are likely to intervene, and the seven-day deadline applies.
7. Arrange consular contact if the person wants it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the penalty for drug possession in Turkey?

For possession for personal use, two to five years' imprisonment, with prosecution suspended for five years and probation of at least one year in a first case. For possession for supply, not less than ten years' imprisonment and a judicial fine.

What is the penalty for drug trafficking in Turkey?

Twenty to thirty years' imprisonment and a judicial fine for manufacture, import or export; not less than ten years for sale, supply, transport, storage or possession for supply within the country, and not less than fifteen years where the substance is given to a child.

How do Turkish courts decide between personal use and supply?

From the whole of the evidence: the quantity compared with personal consumption, packaging in portions, scales and packaging material, money and records, messages, observed transfers, and whether the person is a user. Where doubt remains, the conduct is treated as possession for use.

Is cannabis legal in Turkey?

No. Buying, possessing or using cannabis is an offence under Article 191, and supplying it falls under Article 188. A foreign medical prescription for cannabis products is not recognised.

What happens the first time someone is caught with drugs for personal use?

The prosecutor suspends the bringing of a case for five years and a probation measure of at least one year is applied, with treatment where necessary and periodic testing. If the person complies and does not reoffend, no case is brought.

Will a foreigner be deported for a drug offence in Turkey?

Very often. A deportation order may be issued on public order grounds or after a prison sentence, followed by an entry ban. The order can be appealed within seven days, and deportation is barred where there is a serious risk of the death penalty or ill-treatment on return.

I was carrying a bag for someone else. Am I guilty?

The offence requires intent. A person who did not know what they were carrying has not committed it, but the court assesses that claim against all the evidence — who packed and paid, messages, and the plausibility of the account.

Can I reduce my sentence by cooperating?

Yes. Article 192 provides exemption from penalty for those who report accomplices and hiding places before the authorities learn of the offence, and a reduction for voluntary assistance afterwards. Discuss it with your lawyer first.

Can I bring my prescription medicine to Turkey?

Ordinary medicines, yes. For medicines containing controlled substances, carry the prescription and a doctor's letter, bring only what you need for the stay, and check with a Turkish consulate beforehand whether the product is permitted.

Legal basis and sources

• Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, Articles 59, 188, 190, 191 and 192 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
• Code of Criminal Procedure No. 5271, Articles 91, 100, 147–150.
• Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 9, 31, 54 and 55.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Sentences depend on the substance, quantity and circumstances of each case.